From the Bar
by Kirika-Hime
Summary: When Lucy was beginning to approach her darkest hour, a bartender pulls her back up on her feet and tells her she isn't on her own anymore. But things start becoming complicated when her bartending friend becomes 'Subject 17'. AU, eventual Des/Lucy, rating may go up
1. Familiar Faces

_First, I would like to thank everyone who is reading this and giving this story a chance. From the Bar is going to be my first multi-chapter fan fiction that isn't a collection of drabbles like my Uncharted fan fiction, Through the Years._**  
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_Second, I would like to thank There She Goes for editing and always providing support.  
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_I look forward to your reviews.  
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___This is a fan fiction, all themes and character belong to Ubisoft. No copy-write infringement intended._

**Chapter One – Familiar Faces**

"Another rough day, Lucy?" Nathan asked as he gently placed a small martini in front of her. She sighed and nodded, taking a sip. Her head fell into one of her hands as she tried not to lose her cool. Clay Kaczmarek was getting worse and worse, and it was all her fault. Lucy took in a shuddery breath, rubbing her forehead. This was getting harder and harder for her to do each day. "Hey…" he placed a hand over hers' and she looked up, meeting his gaze. "Everything's going to be okay."

"I don't know Nathan. Things are pretty fucked up right now." She said softly. He laughed lightly, patting her hand before mixing a drink for one of the waitresses.

"I know Lucy, I know. But sometimes we have to do things we rather not. You just have to get through it, one step at a time." He gave her a small, sympathetic smile. "You can do it Lucy. I've got faith in you."

She returned his smile with a weak one and took another sip of her drink. "Thanks. It's good to know that somebody does."

* * *

Lucy felt sick to her stomach as she stared at the unconscious man in the Animus. When she had first stepped into the room, she thought she was seeing things. But Lucy's eyes weren't playing tricks on her. Laying in the Animus was her main contact and connection to the Brotherhood of Assassin's. The man, for the past five years, had not only kept her informed on nearby on the happenings of other assassins and checked up on her undercover assignment, but had helped her stay in some form of contact with old friends hiding somewhere within the city. She was already worried that Vidic suspected that she was with the Assassins rather than unallied. And now the one thing truly keeping her connected to the Brotherhood was trapped her with her.

Two years into her assignment, she had begun to doubt herself, questioning if she was really on the right side or not. Lucy had felt so lost and alone at one point, she seriously considered abandoning the Brotherhood and begin making ties with the Templars. But that had all changed when she had wandered into a bar near Abstergo. She hadn't even touched the wine list when the bartender pushed a dark, yet vivid red drink in front of her. The man had given her a simple smile, asked if she just finished up a bad day at work and slowly eased her into a steady conversation. At first, Lucy had been very wary, unsure if this man was a Templar. It didn't help him that he seemed to look very familiar to her. But as they talked, she noticed all the small, subtle hand gestures and phrases. Hand gestures and phrases that were taught to Assassin's who specifically went undercover. And that simple message he had given her was all she needed. _You're not alone anymore. I'm here to help._

But now he was here in the lion's den. Something Lucy had always feared.

"Ah! Ms. Stillman! I've been waiting for you!" Vidic said, excited as a child on Christmas morning. Lucy felt ill all over again.

"I noticed. Who…?" She tried her best not to let her emotions show. It wouldn't help either of them if her panic gave them away.

"Our newest subject! And I must say, he had quite an impressive bloodline." The old man chuckled. Lucy quirked an eyebrow in question as he handed her a file. She opened it up and had to re-read it at least three times. "Desmond Miles! Twenty-eight years old, been working as a bartender at the Pen & Ink. We can trace his ancestry all the way back to the Middle Ages."

"The Middle Ages?" Lucy repeated. All she could do was stare at the file in her hands and feel like an idiot. Desmond Miles, the son of William Miles. No wonder he looked so damn familiar! Even though it had been nearly seven years since she had even _seen_ William Miles, it was so obvious now; the resemblance between father and son was strong.

"Yes! High Middle Ages to be more precise. We have reason to believe that Mr. Miles here is a possible descendent of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad." Vidic explained. "Let's get started, shall we Ms. Stillman?"

Her head snapped up. What the hell was Vidic thinking? Trying to sync up an unconscious person – _Subject Lucy. You have to call them subjects here_ – could be highly dangerous; especially when someone had to be drugged and sedated to get them into the Animus. "Are you sure?" She looked back at the file, reading how much sedatives were administered to Nathan- to _Desmond._ "With the amount of sedatives in his system, we don't know how long he'll be out. With one session alone he could go into a coma."

"Then I guess we'll have to take that risk." He cut her off as she started to object, "We're close to finding it! I can feel it! Now synch him up Ms. Stillman! We don't have time for arguments." Vidic instructed. Apparently the old man didn't want to listen the possible, negative impacts. He was so damn confident in his belief that Nathan – no, Desmond, Desmond was a descendent of Altaïr. One of the most revered man in the history of the Brotherhood. She clenched her jaw and headed over to the control panel.

_"Sometimes we have to do things we rather not. You just have to get through it, one step at a time Lucy"_

She glanced over at Desmond's unconscious form again before starting the synchronization process. It felt like it had been ages since he had given her those words of wisdom. She wondered if he would keep doing so while they were both stuck here. Lucy quietly sighed, barely listening to Vedic's excited ramblings as the Animus began synchronizing Desmond to Altaïr's memories. She did as she was told and begin to try and access Altaïr's first encounter with a Piece of Eden. She gnawed on her lower lip as the Animus started to show signs of lag. A look over to Desmond confirmed that he was trying to wake up.

"Dr. Vidic, he's waking up." Lucy said softly.

"Oh damn it all! Continue with synchronization, Miss Stillman." Vidic ordered.

She nodded, biting back her fear as she kept a steady eye on Desmond's vitals. There was no way in hell that she would let him become like Subject 16, like Clay. Lucy watched as his mind began to fight off the Animus and silently cheered him on as she informed Vidic. It was clear to both of them that he was now regaining full consciousness. Vidic barked at her to keep trying, she knew it wasn't going to happen though. But she played the part of the willing assistant.

"We've got a problem! I can't anchor him to the memory. Too much psychological trauma." Lucy briefly wondered if it was more Altaïr's trauma than Desmond's. "He's rejecting the treatment. Retreating." She began to try to put him in an earlier memory, ready to eject him at any given notice.

"Desmond. I need you to try and relax." The old man instructed.

"Let me try and stabilize it." Lucy continued to keep an eye on Desmond's vitals and stats, not too terribly surprised to see that he was now awake and fully alert.

"Focus. Listen to the sound of my voice." She was tempted to tell Vidic that no one wanted to listen to the sound of his voice. "Recognize that what you're seeing isn't real, just a picture of the past. It can't hurt you." Bullshit.

Desmond's vitals started going off the charts; she could tell that he was trying to fight off the Animus with more gusto. And while she was proud of him doing so, this was far too dangerous. He was going to do some very serious psychological damage to himself if he kept it up.

"Damn it! It's not working!" She said with false anger.

"Give it a moment, Ms. Stillman! He'll… adjust. The first time is never easy." Vidic said, almost in a careless sort of tone.

"We're losing him!" Technically, that was a lie. Lucy was actually starting the desynchronizing process, but Vidic could never truly tell the difference between an operator desynch and a forced desynch. That's why she operated and over looked essentially all Animus sessions.

"That's enough Ms. Stillman!" Vidic snapped.

"We need to pull him out. Now." She glared at the older man. She wasn't going to let Desmond stay in that damn machine any longer. She wouldn't let him become like Clay. The Animus cleanly desynchronized and removed Desmond from Altaïr's memory, and Lucy let out a quiet sigh of relief. His eyes snapped open, quickly taking in his surroundings before closing them, groaning at the bright florescent lights. "Are you okay?" She resisted the urge to take hold of his hand and to let him know that she was sorry.

"I told you he'd be fine." Vidic said. Lucy shot him a dirty look.

"Bastards!" Desmond hissed as he started rubbing a temple.

"Now, now. I just saved your life." Vidic lied. Desmond knew though that the old man needed him alive. The Animus couldn't work with an inactive brain after-all. Lucy gave Desmond a small smile as she helped him sit up.

"Saved my life?!" he scoffed, "You kidnapped me! Drugged me up and the next thing I know I'm in that… thing!"

"Animus. It's an Animus." Vidic corrected.

"Whatever. Save for Miss Frequent Customer here," Desmond jerked a thumb in Lucy's direction, "I don't even know you people! What the hell is going on here?" She heard Desmond drum his fingers twice in a rapid motion before repeating the action once at a slightly slower pace. She turned her head away from him, tucking an invisible loose hair behind her ear, making sure her pinky was out and slightly curled.

_Did you know?_

_ No._

"You have information we need, Mr. Miles." Vidic answered.

"Information?" Desmond laughed, "I'm a bartender for christsakes! What do you want me to do? Teach you how to mix a martini?"

Vidic frowned, "We know who you are. What you are."

Desmond's eyes narrowed and he studied the old man. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said evenly. Lucy shifted nervously as she watched the two stare each other down, sizing each other up. Almost as if they were daring the other to reveal how much the other knew.

"Don't play coy with me. There isn't time. You're an Assassin. And whether you realize it or not, you've got something my employers want. Locked away in that head of yours."

Desmond frowned, "But I'm not an Assassin. Haven't been for a long time." Lucy felt her heart speed up. He had told her that he had briefly left the Brotherhood, but if the Templars had found out that Desmond was an active member and was aiding her… She suppressed that train of thought. Neither of them could afford to think about the consequences at the moment. They had work on keeping Vidic in the dark in the moment, keeping him from suspecting too much.

"Yes… your file indicated as much. Something about an 'escape'." Vidic said with a smirk and Lucy felt herself breathe a little easier. She kept her eyes trained on her consol as Vidic and Desmond continued on with their verbal spar. It was hard to listen to after being through it so many times already. She clenched her jaw as the old man told Desmond he would be 'free to go' after he accessed the memory of Altaïr's they were after. More like free to go in a body-bag. She and Desmond briefly glanced at one another. They didn't need to do any special gestures to show how they knew the truth.

"I'm not going back in there." growled Desmond.

_Don't fight back too much… They might sedate you just to ensure they reach their goal._

"Then we'll induce a coma and continue our work. When we're done, you'll be left to die. Truth be told, the only reason we didn't do it in the first place is because you being conscious saves us time." Vidic said smugly.

"You're insane."

"What is it, Mr. Miles? Live, or die?" Desmond looked between him and Lucy. Lucy discreetly nodded towards the Animus and watched as he grumbled out a series of obscenities as he lay back down in the Animus. Vidic nodded to her and Lucy began to prep Desmond to synchronize with Altaïr's earlier memories. She held back a smile as Desmond played along with Vidic's 'What's a Genetic Memory' game. A glance over at Desmond revealed that he was smirking.

"And the Animus lets you decode and read these DNA files…?" Desmond 'asked', quirking an eyebrow. Vidic confirmed it and looked like he was about to go on and on about something she and Desmond already knew.

"But there's a problem." Lucy interjected before Vidic could truly ramble, ignoring the older man's annoyed glare. "This is the specific memory we're trying to access." She highlighted the memory block, briefly flashing the 'P.O.E. contact' underneath it for Desmond to see. "Unfortunately, when we try to open the memory, your mind withdraws. You lack the confidence to step into your ancestor's body. That's what was happening earlier. You got knocked out of the target memory and pushed back into stable state."

"And why~ did that happen?" She could hear a slight tone of playfulness in his voice.

"It's your subconscious. It's resisting." She briefly explained the similarities between what happened earlier and hypnosis patients. "You need to be eased in. Even then there can be problems." She warned. Even though she knew Desmond knew the risks, but she had to remind him. If not for him, then at least for her state of mind. Lucy continued on with the usual dialogue she gave to every test subject that didn't have to be put into a coma and before long, she was starting up the tutorial program. Desmond nodded at her after she finished up her speech, shifting a little to get a little more comfortable. A small, quiet sigh past her lips as she began to line up a memory he would have no problem diving into.

"So, just how frequent of a patron of the Pen & Ink are you Miss Stillman?" Vidic asked as Desmond began the memory.

She almost jumped when he spoke. She had gotten use to the quiet that had filled the room and hum from the Animus. "About once a week. He knows how to make one hell of a martini." Lucy answered. No point in lying. She did go to the bar about once a week and Desmond did mix the best drinks she had ever had.

"Ah." Was all Vidic could say. He was probably expecting a more skittish reaction.

"I wish I would have been informed that Desmond was going to be our new subject. Now I'll have to have my weekly drink here." She paused for a moment, frowning. "And probably have to buy all the ingredients for my favorite drinks and equipment to make them too." She felt genuinely annoyed by this fact. She was not looking forward to having to spend all that cash. Good alcohol was never cheap. And surely any equipment Desmond needed wouldn't be cheap either.

"Surely you can find another bar Miss Stillman." Vidic said with a slight laugh.

"Like you can find another test subject who is so cleanly synchronizing with Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad." She replied coldly, glaring at him, " , I have very particular and picky taste when it comes to my alcohol. Our current subject has met and gone beyond those standards."

"There's no reason to get angry."

" ! I have devoted nearly seven years of my life on this project. Seven years of what I thought - at the start of all this – would be research that could be used to help treat patients with amnesia, alzheimers, dementia! Not some insane search to find these- these 'Pieces of Eden'!" Lucy hissed, letting out some of her pent-up frustration. "So _forgive_ me for wanting to continue something that takes my mind off of it." She huffed as she returned to monitoring Desmond's progress. She hoped that Vidic would take a hint and stay quiet for the rest of the session.

"So chatting up the bartender is what relaxes you?" Vidic asked after several minutes of silence.

Her head snapped up, "What?"

"When our agents located and observed Mr. Miles, they were quiet shocked to see you… 'chatting him up'. Or at least, that's what I heard."

"Well, you go to the same bar for a good five years, you're bound to start having conversations the person who serves the drinks. Along with the other patrons." She let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't ask you about the places you go to relax or the things you do after work." She paused for a moment, "What's this all about exactly ?"

"I'm just wondering if you knew about Mr. Miles previous association."

"To be honest, I'm shocked." Lucy lied cleanly.

"Never expected anything at all?"

She shook her head, keeping her eyes on Desmond's progress. "No. He's always seemed to be pretty average joe." She paused for a moment before letting out a tiny giggle. "Though he would always chat up the Rainbow Squad when they were in."

"Rainbow… Squad?"

"The gays. Just as their nick-names suggest, they are a colourful bunch. They always have great stories to tell. Desmond would always make sure they had the best service and drinks they could get. I think he did it mostly for tips, but you never know." Lucy explained, effectively shutting Vidic up for the rest of the session. Lucy could help but let out a small, triumphant smile.

* * *

Lucy's and the old man's voice were slightly distant at first, but they grew clearer and louder with each moment. Damn, this was one huge mind-fuck, more so then he had expected. Desmond was tempted to check his stomach to make sure that there wasn't a scar where Al Mualim had stabbed Altaïr. But he knew there would be nothing but his own collection of scars; the only scar he and Altaïr would ever have in common was the one on the lip.

"…him out. He's been in there way too long." Lucy stated. Desmond gladly took her offered hand for support as he slowly sat up. He hoped neither of them were blowing each other's cover. While he could probably afford to be discovered as an active and working member of the Brotherhood, Lucy couldn't. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind that the Templars would kill her if they found out.

"What's another hour or two?" Vidic asked angrily.

_I would prefer not to go insane or develop schizophrenia. Though there's probably not much of difference there with this, is there?_

"Why don't we discuss this in the conference room? Give Desmond a minute to stretch his legs." Neither Desmond nor Lucy gave Vidic much of a chance to argue. Lucy headed to the conference room while Desmond slowly stood up and started to walk around. It was a prime opportunity to assess his surroundings. Cameras were everywhere even in the bathroom, a fact which disturbed Desmond to no end. Anything that could potentially could be used as a weapon or be used to cause himself harm was blunted or gone. And furniture light enough to carry, but heavy enough to do some form of damage was gone or bolted down. All the windows, with their impressive view, were more plastic than glass and seemed to be equipped with multiple sensors. There was no doubt that there were sensors in and around the doors as well. Probably bugs all over the place too. He would have to see if Rebecca could do a subtle hacking of Abstergo's security system, or least give the system lag or default. He and Lucy were going to need all the help they could get when it was time for their escape. Desmond looked up as Lucy and Vidic came back into the main room.

"We're done for today, Mr. Miles. I suggest you go to your room and get some rest." Vidic snapped, almost looking like a little kid ready to throw a tantrum over some candy or toy. The old man practically stormed out of the room, leaving Desmond and Lucy alone.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think you were being targeted." Lucy said softly.

He gave her a reassuring smile, "Don't worry about it. You didn't know. Just as you didn't know I had had ties with the Assassins." He could have let out a sigh of relief when Lucy took the hint and brought up the topic of his leaving the Farm. Hopefully whoever was watching those cameras and listening in would continue to buy into their cover. It took a bit of effort though to act like an ignorant sixteen year-old angry at his parents again. He had gotten over those feelings ages ago, but… that was a story for another time, another day. At least it seemed that she was actually interested in hearing about it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drudge up the past." Lucy said quietly.

"It's alright." Desmond gave her another smile.

"You know, you're still expected to make my drinks."

He chuckled, "Anything for my best customer. You'll have to go out and buy the stuff for them though. I'm pretty sure our friends here don't have decent vodka." He laughed as Lucy swore.

"I knew it."

"So a quick question before I turn in." She quirked an eyebrow, "How did they find me? I mean, I haven't been anywhere near another assassin since I was sixteen." Lucy smiled at him, sinking into a hip. He knew that she didn't buy the lie. He was mostly doing it to save her the trouble of going through possibly vague files.

"Well, I'm sure you haven't used your real name for some time, 'Nathan'." She gave him a mock glare.

"Nope. Not before today." He leaned against the Animus, watching as she thought of all the possible ways he could have gotten caught.

"Any credit cards?"

"Cash only." He was having a hard time keeping a playful tone out of his voice and he could tell Lucy was having the same problem as him. _Come on Lucy… I've told you my weakness before._

"Telephone?"

"If you don't count work, there's no one to call."

"Hm…" Desmond smirked as Lucy's eyes lit up, probably remembering their conversation months ago over modes of transportation. "Driver's license?"

"Motorcycle. Always a guilty pleasure of mine."

"There's your answer. Photo and fingerprint." She poked him in the chest, frowning slightly.

"But this is a drug company. What does Abstergo have to do with the DMV?" She knew what he was really asking. _'How powerful are the Templars now?'_ She started to look around nervously.

"Desmond, these guys are everywhere. They –" Both of them jump slightly. He could have sworn he heard something shuffle or fall just outside one of the doors. And he remembered the possibility that there were bugs throughout the room. "I-I'm sorry. I really can't talk about it. I'll see you tomorrow. Get some rest."

"See ya." He watched her leave before nodding to himself. _Time to see if I'm missing anything_. Desmond walked towards the large windows overlooking the city. Resting his head against the cool plexiglas, he closed his eyes and then slowly opened them. He turned back to the room, everything in Eagle vision now. He frowned slightly at the numerous symbols, letters, numbers, and drawings all over the room. All them undoubtedly written in blood. No wonder Lucy had been in such a state of distress when she told him about Clay's death. He made his way to the small bedroom, not sure if it was a bad thing that he wasn't surprised that the drawings and writings continued on into the bedroom. He swore under his breath as the door shut behind him; no doubt that it locked as well. He closed his eyes, rubbing and pinching the bridge of his nose. This was going to be quite a challenge. Not only did he have to go through his ancestor's memories (something he really felt he didn't have the right to do), but he had to find a way to keep Shaun and Rebecca in the loop, insure that his and Lucy's status as Assassins was kept under wraps, and plan an escape. And then he was going to have to figure out if any or all of Clay's writings and drawings were worth the risk of documenting or not. Desmond sighed as he flopped back onto the bed, making his Eagle Vision fade away so he could try and get some sleep. Though he knew it might be hard to with the knowledge that his room was painted in blood (even if all the blood was all covered with a fresh coat of paint) and that there were cameras essentially watching his every move.

"God, I hate my life some days."


	2. Knowing Your Drinks

_First, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewedand added this story to their favorites and alert lists. It's always a confidence booster when I see those emails in my inbox._  
_Also, I would like to thank There She Goes And Shes Comin for being the awesome and helpful editor that he is!  
So as always, I look forward to your reviews!_

_____This is a fan fiction, all themes and character belong to Ubisoft. No copy-write infringement intended._

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Knowing Your Drinks**

Lucy shifted nervously from foot to foot as she waited for Nathan to rejoin her in the alleyway. She knew that this was dangerous but she had to know. She had to know if he was really here to help her or if he was ordered to keep an eye on her. And if he was ordered to watch her, was he with the Order or with the Templars? She had to know, it had been plaguing her for the past five months. But now… now she was starting to regret this decision. The alleyway behind the bar would have been pitch black if it were not for the lamps marking the back-doors to the various businesses. Anyone could be lurking in the shadows, and 'anyone' could include Templar agents. Lucy couldn't help but glance up at the taller structures that were several blocks down. Her eyes fell onto the general location of Abstergo's Italian headquarters. She could've been so easily followed. Damn, this was slowly beginning to seem like the worst idea ever.

"Sorry for the wait. The newbie messed up the house special." Nathan said softly, announcing his presence and making Lucy jump. "Here," he held out a styrofoam cup, "hot coca. It's a bit chilly out here." She nodded, warily taking the offered drink. "So…what is it you wanted to talk about?"

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye before diverting her gaze when she realized he was doing the same. Lucy took a deep breath, finding and steadying her resolve. "_Français?"_ she asked quietly. Nathan was silent for several long moments and her nervousness began to creep back up.

_"Oui, well enough_." He finally replied.

_"Uh…I…"_ she felt herself begin to lose her nerve. It didn't help that he was staring directly at her, no doubt studying her as she to shuffle nervously. "_Why are you here?"_

_"To support you. Help you, if needed."_ He said; Lucy could have sworn that she heard concern in his voice. "_Why do you ask?"_

Lucy looked at him, trying to figure out exactly what she should say next. Two years on her own had made her incredibly wary and suspicious of people, especially those claiming to be a part of the Order. Granted, Nathan was the first one to do so, but Lucy knew she had to keep her guard up, constantly be on her toes. She had spent a large portion of her life preparing to infiltrate Abstergo and there was no room for error. Not when there was so much on the line. "_Because I need to know if I can trust you."_ she whispered, looking away from him, staring at the small styrofoam cup in her hands. The silence was agonizing. Lucy could feel Nathan staring at her and she fought the urge to not look back at him.

_"I can understand_." Nathan sighed, "_I'm sure after being more or less isolated would make anyone question someone who just suddenly shows up, out of the blue." _She nodded and couldn't help but feel a little ashamed. "_But I know I can trust you_."

Lucy's head snapped up and she stared at him wide-eyed. "W-what?" This man had to be crazy, out of his mind. She could barely trust him, but he _knew_ he could trust her? After only five months?

_"I trust you. I know I can, without a doubt_." Nathan's smile was incredibly gentle and she couldn't stop the blood rushing to her face. "_I know that it'll take some time for you trust me, but…just know that I'm here for you. Like Ibn-La'Ahad once said, 'we place faith in ourselves.' So I'll place faith, and trust, in you."_ He placed a hand on her back, causing her to flinch and tense as he gently rubbed it, trying to offer some comfort to her. "_Don't ever doubt that Lucy. Don't ever doubt that."_

She couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine. His hand… it felt so warm. Lucy looked away from him, very aware now of the blush staining her checks. "I… won't Nathan…" She pulled away and handed back the styrofoam cup. "Sorry, not in the mood for cocoa." Lucy muttered.

He laughed and took the cup back without hesitation, "Won't accept any drink that isn't made in front of you still, huh?"

She frowned at him, "I'd rather be cautious than drugged or dead." He laughed again and Lucy felt her blush deepen.

* * *

Desmond was grateful when Vidic growled at him to get out of the Animus. Desmond wondered if the old man was still sour about getting hit in the head with a pillow. Though Vidic had set himself up for that though; he shouldn't have stood over the bed like a complete creeper. It was a natural reaction for Desmond. Hell, he did it to Shaun, had even done it to his father, when they tried to wake him up before his alarm clock went off. Desmond watched as the doctor stormed off through the larger doorway before turning his attention to Lucy.

"So, feel like telling me who put the stick up his ass?" Desmond asked as leaned against the side of the Animus.

"We have a deadline. One week. Well…six days now." She answered.

"And I take it you can't talk about it?" He sighed as she shook her head. "Great. Being held hostage by a crazy scientists, forced to spend all day in a crazy ass machine and no one will or can tell me what you're looking for and why." He let out a small noise of frustration.

Lucy frowned at him, "I am not crazy."

"I never said _you_ were, just the old man and your boss." She gave him a disapproving look before she returned to typing up whatever it was she was typing. "So I'm stuck here for another six days, at least."

"Don't start counting them down. They may decide you're a valuable subject." Lucy whispered, not looking up from her work.

"I hope not." He muttered. _And I don't plan on staying here for more than six days, and neither should you Lucy._ "Well, besides laying in the Animus and sleep in a bed, anything else I can do during my down time?"

She paused from her work and looked at him for a moment, as if he grew another head almost. "Uh.. If you wanna know more about Abstergo, take a look at the computer. The telecommunications stuff is particularly interesting."

"Let me rephrase that, is there anything _productive_ I can do?" Lucy blinked, looking taken back a bit. "Sorry, I'm not a big fan of standing about and being idle."

"And bartending is productive?" she teased.

Desmond laughed, "Sure it is! It keeps my hands busy, and trust me, it can get pretty challenging when it hits two in the morning."

"I'm sure mixing a martini is not that complex." Lucy scoffed.

"You'd be surprised. With my line of work, you're expected to know every type of drink out there, new and old. And you haven't been to the bar on a full house night, trying to make twenty well drinks on top of making another twenty call drinks. The Pen & Ink is a quiet bar in comparison to most music bars, but the weekends can get pretty crazy."

"Well drinks? Call drinks?" she asked with confusion.

"Well drinks are drinks that aren't mixed with brand name products, the less expensive liquors. That's what the speed rack is made up of all that. There's a really easy saying to remember the order they're placed in the rack-"

"Alright! Alright! I get it! I don't shit about bartending." Lucy cried, throwing her hands up in defeat and effectively stopping Desmond from giving her a complete schooling on the subject.

"I could teach you." Desmond offered, chuckling, "You know, after you guys get whatever you need from my head. In fact, we could have a little celebratory drink after all this."

"You think that's a good idea Nath- Desmond" Lucy flushed and Desmond couldn't help but laugh. It seemed like she was still use to calling him by his alias. Not that he could blame her; he was sure he would be doing the same if the situation was reverse.

"I'm sure it'll be okay. It's not like we're going to get shit-faced drunk and wreck the place." He chuckled, "How about I give you a list of stuff we're gonna need?"

"I'm going to be afraid of how much this is going to cost, aren't I?"

"Don't worry! I'm free to go in six days, right?" Lucy slowly nodded, "I'll need to stop by work to pick up my last paycheck before I skip this place. I'll be sure to pay you back before I do."

She regarded him for a moment, no doubt unsure if he was serious about giving her a written encrypted message in a Templar headquarters. "Fine." She opened up her email account, not even bothering to make an effort to try and be discreet while she typed in her password. "Go ahead and type up everything we'll need for drinks. I'll email it to myself when you're done."

He nodded and thanked her; working quickly, he opened a second window and rapidly typed an email to Shaun and Rebecca's spam account.

_On the ground, Maria is fine. Is there still no word from George Sr.?_

Desmond sent it without hesitation, quickly deleting it from Lucy's sent folder before closing the window. He took his time typing up the liquors that he needed, along with the mixers. "Do you want me to write up the best place to get a deal on all this?"

"I'm sure I can remember the name of a liquor store, Desmond." Lucy said sounding a little offended.

"I'm sure you can. You'll want to go to Axel's and tell Horace that Nathan sent you. He'll give you a discount." Desmond instructed. "And next door, at Marcy's, you'll be able to find all the mixers without too much trouble." Lucy didn't inquire who these people really were but just nodded and sent the email to herself. She shooed him away, informing him that she still had some work to do and that he should consider getting some rest. Desmond sighed and made his way back to the deceptively creepy bedroom.

_Might as well work out a bit. Can't get too soft._

* * *

_She was at the bar, in her usual seat at the counter. She looked around and found to find the bar empty. Save for Desmond. He was all the way at the other end of the bar counter. She watched him as he slowly prepared some sort of drink. He never looked at her once, his eyes remained on his work. She wanted to wave at him or say something, but she couldn't move, couldn't find her voice. She looked down at her hands. A soft 'clink' caught her attention and she looked up to discover a cocktail in front of her. A Maiden's Blush. Her head snapped over to Desmond's direction. His back was turned to her. Was he… was he leaving?_

_ "Lucy…"_

Lucy jolted herself awake, nearly falling out of her computer chair. She swore when she realized that she knocked over her bowl and that it had shattered once it made contact with the floor. She quickly went to the kitchen to grab the broom and dustpan. Lucy tried to ignore how hot her face felt. What the hell was that all about? For as long as she could remember, she had never had a dream like that. And she had never, _ever_, had a dream involving Desmond. But one thing she knew, she shouldn't be having dreams about her teammates. Especially ones that confused the hell out of her. She growled in frustration as some of the shards refused to stay in the dustpan.

She looked at the computer monitor and paused. Two messages were still displayed, one from Desmond and one from his father. William's message was filled with the usual instructions, telling her to keep an eye on the Templars' actives, send him status reports. But it surprised her when he offered to help extract her and Desmond from Abstergo's Italian Headquarters. Lucy was still trying to figure out how to reply to that.

And then there was Desmond's message hidden among the shopping list.

_I'll be okay. Keep it up and stay safe. Don't do anything foolish._

A sigh left her as she thought about all the possible implications from that message. If he meant for her to continue on without him if something happened to him… she felt dread slowly fill her. Desmond couldn't think, _believe_ that he would end up like Clay, could he? Lucy took a shuddery breath as she tried to steady her emotions. He had to know she was taking every precaution that she could, that she could get away without it being too suspicious. A glance at the clock told her it was well past midnight, almost one in fact. She shook her head and gathered the rest of the broken bowl.

The stress was beginning to catch up to her. It wasn't helping that she couldn't do her usual stress relieving routine. Not when her bartender was locked away. That had to explain why she had that she dreamed. Lucy tossed the shattered remains of the bowl in the trash bin and headed to the bathroom. She froze for a moment. Did she…did she just… did she really just think that? That Desmond was _her_ bartender? Heat rushed back to her cheeks with a greater intensity then before. First dreaming of him and now she was starting to 'claim' him as hers? She turned the water on and splashed water on her face.

This was ridiculous! She had a job to focus on! Lucy forced herself to think back to Desmond's message. He had to not do anything foolish. Did that mean that Desmond already had a plan? Maybe it was already in the works? That could possibly explain why Desmond was now 'Subject 17'. And it could also explain why he had acted so strange all last week. She made a slight noise of frustration at the thought. If there was plan in the works already, why wasn't she informed of it? Was it because she of her current position? That she was supposed to be neither Templar nor Assassin on this assignment? Well, if this was some crazy plan that he cooked up, his father certainly wasn't in the loop. Or at least not to her knowledge. Lucy sighed, wondering if should send a message to Shaun and Rebecca. But it was possible Desmond already sent a message to them. God, this was mess. She still had to reply to William's message.

Lucy frowned as she thought of William Miles. The man had spent years practically grooming her for this assignment, keeping her essentially isolated from the Order. She never really trusted William, still didn't for that matter. Was he really willing to get a one up on the Templars that he would put his own son at risk? But then there was today's message offering to aid her and Desmond. Lucy just could never seem to read William. She always remembered him to be very stern; he probably still was. Desmond hardly seemed to come off the same way as his father did. But now that she thought about it, there would be moments where he did resemble his father. Mostly when she and Desmond would talk about her assignment or the unfortunate people who would become Abstergo's test subjects. Lucy's frown softened as thought about Desmond. His father she may never be able to trust, but she knew she could and would always trust Desmond, even with the headache that he was inadvertently causing her.

Turning off the faucet, she headed back to the computer. She sighed as she sat down and closed the window displaying Desmond's message. She had to type up a reply to William, at least to let him know not to send any help for now. The last thing Lucy and Desmond needed was some hastily put together rescue operation. The Templars would slaughter any Assassin that tried to set foot into that building.

_William,_

_ I've been ensuring that we are taking every precaution that we can. Even with the shortened deadline, I've been making sure that Desmond has limited exposure to the Animus. Desmond seems to already have a plan in motion, so I will have to get in contact with Shaun and Rebecca for further details. If either of us needs any aid in leaving our current location, I will have Desmond contact you first._

_ L. Stillman_

She read it over before clicking the send button. She leaned back in her chair and tried to relax a little. Her memory though, had other things in mind and began replaying what little she remembered from her dream. Lucy felt herself frowned as she thought about it. The whole dream was puzzling to her. How Dream Desmond was completely on the other side of the bar and how he continued to stay on the other side of the bar. She didn't understand why she felt upset and disappointed. And then there was the cocktail that Dream Desmond had placed in front of her. She knew it was a 'Maiden's Blush'; she had recognized it by the colour and the way lemon slice was placed on the lip of the martini glass. Lucy felt herself blush. She couldn't believe that she remembered exactly how Desmond prepared his drinks.

"Stop thinking about it Lucy!" she growled to herself. "It's just a stupid dream! It doesn't mean anything." She shut off her computer and quickly moved herself to the bedroom, wrapping herself up in her mother's quilt. She slowly took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down and get emotions under control. A dream was not what she should be worried about. She needed to focus on the task at hand, and that was to get through Altaïr's memories and escape Abstergo. "This is going to be a long night." She groaned in the darkness, "A very long night."


	3. Bits of the Past

_Well! I like to start off with an apology for the long wait. It took me awhile to find the right way to start this chapter off. Secondly, I wanted to play and finish _Assassin's Creed III _before I wrote and posted anything else. After-all, if I was going to have to make any changes to any of the Modern Day characters, I wanted to make sure I would have plenty of room to do so._**  
**

_As always, your reviews, the follow and favorite alerts are a confidence booster and I look forward to seeing them!  
_

_And of course, my thanks to There She Goes And Shes Comin for editing and providing feedback.  
_

_______This is a fan fiction, all themes and character belong to Ubisoft. No copy-write infringement intended._

* * *

**Bits of the Past**

_"Do you ever miss your family?" _Lucy asked_, "I'm sure they had a few things to say when you announced you were moving to Italy."_

Nathan shrugged, _"Well, the initial plan was to travel around, visit places that I could trace my family history to. My mom was fine with it, encouraged it even. Dad on the other hand…"_

Lucy raised an eyebrow in question. She wondered if he was actually speaking about his parents. This was the only problem with speaking in code as often as they did. But she wouldn't be surprised if his parents were against him working undercover. Nathan looked over at her before continuing on.

_"Well, we kind of had fights leading up to me leaving."_

_ "Fights?"_

_ "Yeah. Not arguments, but full blown shouting matches. Some of them would barely be on the verge of breaking into some form of violence. Sure it started out with arguments but when months dwindled down to a handful of weeks, that's when we started fighting."_ Nathan explained. Lucy wasn't sure what to say. He was most likely talking about his parents, and he didn't look happy about how he left things with his father. She couldn't blame him. She wondered what would happen when he returned home from this assignment. Would he return home at all? Would his father even welcome him back?

_"And your mother? How did she handle the fighting?"_ she quietly asked.

Nathan just blankly started ahead at the wall across them, _"Mom's always been supportive on just about anything I've decided I wanted to do. Always there with a smile, a good meal and some classic, but welcomed words of encouragement."_ Nathan laughed a little.

_"She sounds like a wonderful person."_ Lucy said softly, _"You must miss her a lot."_

He smiled at her. _"I do. I really do. I think you would like her. Or at least her cooking. She makes the best roasted chicken!"_ Lucy tried to hold back her laughter as he went on describing his mom's cooking. Nathan looked almost childlike at the moment.

_"Stop! You're making me hungry!"_ she laughed. He let out an embarrassed chuckle and a 'sorry'. _"If I'm ever lucky enough to have some of your mother's cooking, I'm sure I won't be leaving hungry."_

_"Sounds about right."_ He leaned against the wall. _"What about your parents? I'm sure they had something to say when you got your job at Abstergo."_

Lucy looked away, unsure of what she should say. Her parents had had a hand in her training, making sure she had all the skills she could possibly need on this assignment. They often were hard on her while trying to be supportive. _"I miss them. They've always had high expectations for me."_

_"So getting a job at Abstergo was something like a validation of those expectations?"_

She nodded, _"They were a little upset to hear that I was going to be moving here, but they told me to do my best."_ Lucy sighed. She wondered what her parents would be saying now. They had been adamant on keeping to herself, on keeping limited contact with anyone in the order. And now she was breaking that rule they had laid down when she left for college. _"I don't get to talk to them enough, but I hope they're proud of me."_

_"I understand that."_ Nathan said softly. _"I think they are. I mean, at least you didn't end up being a bartender."_ They both laughed and Lucy started to feel a little bit better.

* * *

Sunlight filtered in through the closed blinds and the ticking of the kitchen clock echoed throughout the apartment. Lucy slowly woke up, feeling much better after a good night's sleep. There were no strange dreams this time around thankfully. She let out a sound of content as she slowly sat up and stretched. Maybe she could skip her usual morning coffee today or actually take her time showering before heading into work. She turned to look at her alarm clock on the night stand, only to find it wasn't there. She glanced down at the floor and saw the normally dreaded object laying there. She gingerly picked it up, hoping she wouldn't have to purchase a new one.

"Oh shit."

She should have left for work ten minutes ago. Swearing up a storm, Lucy quickly jumped out of bed, tearing off her pajamas and quickly slipping on her work clothes.

"Great! So much for a freaking shower!" she said between winces. Apparently her hair decided to make itself a complete rats' nest during the night. With lightning speed, Lucy slipped on her heels and grabbed her purse, nearly forgetting her employee badge in the process. "Vidic better not have started without me!" she growled, "If he has, I'll make the Animus overheat on purpose!"

The reception she received as she arrived was less than warm; Vidic snapping at her and needlessly reminding her about their deadline. At least he didn't actually start without her. If he did, Desmond probably would have been repeating a memory by accident or worse, be forced to try and access the memory the Templars were after.

Thankfully, the room grew quiet and filled with the hum of the Animus as Desmond progressed through the memory and Vidic left to grab coffee. But without Vidic's constant snapping and passive aggressive comments, Lucy thoughts strayed to the messages and her unusual dream. She looked at his still form and sighed, half tempted to pull him out and ask him what exactly his message meant. But that would probably arouse suspicion. They only had four more days left and no one so far had really questioned her about her relation to Desmond. More importantly, they hadn't felt it necessary to station more security guards in the area. At least that she could be thankful for. And with the lack of extra security guards and Vidic, she was able to place an access code in Desmond's room.

Of course, towards the end of the day, the Animus started acting up. Figures. Whenever there was a deadline in place, nothing wanted to work properly. And as always, Vidic nearly blew a fuse and stormed out, leaving Lucy and Desmond alone.

"You'd think he try and keep his cool a little." Desmond commented as he slowly got out of the machine.

Lucy sighed and shrugged, "Well, we're under a lot of pressure. The hope is that there won't be any more issues with the Animus."

"The sooner we get this done, the better?"

She nodded, "But we also have to make sure we don't push you too far. I…"

Desmond looked at the floor, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "I understand." He said softly. They stood there in silence for a while, both of them trying to think of something to say without blowing their cover.

"I could really use a good drink." Lucy whispered and Desmond couldn't help that laughter that spilled out of him.

"Well that makes two of us."

She looked up and smiled at him, noting how he seemed tired. She wondered if he was getting enough sleep, though it wouldn't be too surprising if Desmond was having problems getting to sleep. After-all, they were in the Lion's Den and while Lucy could leave with ease, he was trapped. She wanted to ask him if he had a plan, if she should be trying to find a way out for both of them. Lucy shuffled awkwardly for a moment or two, looking away from him.

"I never asked you how you ended up staying at Abstergo so long." Desmond said softly.

Lucy stilled and pursed her lips. She could still hear them coming in, the way they were cracking jokes… she shivered. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Desmond as he mumbled out an apology and began telling her that she didn't have to say anything. He wasn't looking directly at her and her mind went back to her dream. She didn't like the distance Dream Desmond had from her and in this moment, it felt like that distance was beginning to form between them again. Those first five months of knowing one another there had been a noticeable gap between them. She didn't want that. His friendship had kept her days from completely nose-diving into the dark.

"It was after the Animus was ready," she said quietly, "three guys. They came in while I was sleeping, dragged me out of bed." Lucy took in a small shuddery breath. "God… The worst part was I knew them. One of them, I would eat lunch with him sometimes. And he…" She tensed for a moment as Desmond placed a hand on her shoulder, "They were laughing, cracking jokes…"

"Did you…did you try and fight back?" Desmond asked, worry and concern colouring his voice.

She nodded, still unable to look at him, "I tried, kept telling myself it wasn't real. That it was some sick nightmare. Then one of my neighbors came in, tried to scare them off and called the cops. They shot my neighbor in the shoulder and then Vidic came in, threaten them and they left. He told me they wouldn't come for me again."

Desmond was silent for a long moment. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

_"For not getting here sooner."_ He whispered.

Her head snapped up and she stared at him with wide eyes. He didn't look at her; it was almost as if he was ashamed that he wasn't able to help her that night that happened over six years ago. She placed a hand over his, drawing his attention back to her and gave him a small smile.

"It's okay. Just don't go treating me like glass."

He let out a single 'heh' and returned her smile, nodding before leaving to rest. Lucy watched him leave, hoping he would notice the small 'present' she left for him when Vidic had stepped out for coffee. She had to force herself to focus back on the Animus. She wished that Desmond had stayed a little longer, it was too quiet now.

* * *

Desmond pulled off his hoodie and shirt, rolling his shoulders to try and work out some of the tension that had built up there. He walked into the bathroom, doing his best to keep his mind occupied with something else besides the cameras hidden in the room. He thought back onto the conversation he and Vidic had before Lucy came in. The old man knew how to put up a good argument. His little speech on how people 'call out for direction' and how the Templars were going to tell them 'how to live their lives'. Sure he was subtle about it, but Desmond knew what he was implying. And he could see how pervious assassins sent to infiltrate the Templar Order would end up joining them. Well spoken words, persuasive arguments, and to top it all off, the Templars had the upper hand. That's why Desmond had fought so hard to be here. He didn't want Lucy to fall into the same cycle. Or even worse, become another Daniel Cross.

He let out a shuddery breath as he leaned against the bathroom sink, his forehead resting against the mirror. Only three days in and he was still trying to figure out how he was going to get himself and Lucy out of here. They were both running out of time. Lucy had nearly reached her breaking point with Clay's death and Desmond would most likely be killed after he was done going through Altaïr's memories. He pushed himself off the counter and headed back into the bedroom area, making his way to the closet with all intentions to get a clean shirt.

"What the hell-?" he murmured. The closet was slightly ajar, a piece of shirt keeping it from closing all the way. He opened the closet, rummaging around to find a rolled up shirt. He pulled it out, letting unravel and discovering the slip of paper that lay in the middle. Desmond studied it for a moment confused until he recognized the handwriting. He let out a low chuckle and headed to the lock door, punching in the number on the paper on the keypad. A victorious smile spread across his face as the door swooshed opened. He walked into the dark room, heading towards the Animus with purpose. He turned on Lucy's computer and opened up the email account, checking the spam folder. A sigh of relief left him when saw an email from Shaun and Rebecca.

_ Good to hear that you're on the ground and Maria is doing okay. George Sr. has most likely tried to get in contact with both of you. I've got a few ideas to help Maria's move back home to be a little easier._

Desmond opened up the next email in line and chuckled as he recognized Shaun's writing scheme for coded messages; the classic penis enlargement offer. Though his 'See the Unknown England!' was another of Desmond's favorites. He read through the email and after taking some time to decipher it, was surprised at how much detail was in it. _Shaun and Rebecca have really out done themselves._

There was a general description of the building layout, a general schedule of the security guards, and a quick mention of possible escape routes outside of Abstergo. With this, Desmond could actually plan a decent escape. Or at least an escape that would most likely get himself and Lucy out of the building and hopefully keep them from getting killed or captured again. He closed the email, ready to shut off the computer when a new email popped up in the spam box. He hesitated. He recognized the sender address – his father's. No doubt Lucy already informed his father that he was Abstergo's newest subject. He shut off the computer; it was most likely instructions for Lucy. If there was anything in there for him, she would let him know.

For a moment, Desmond was tempted to see if he could access Vidic's email but decided against it. He could do that tomorrow night, plus he would probably have to steal the old man's datapen in order to access the computer. He huffed as he walked back to the small room. He felt like he was complicating things, little by little. And have things becoming more complicated was not something he needed. Not now. _Focus on getting yourself and Lucy out of here alive. That's what's important at the moment._ He flopped face first onto the bed, a low groan left him as he felt the beginnings of a headache. Now that he started thinking about it, he probably already complicated things by becoming a bartender and befriending Lucy five years ago.

Lucy…

He hadn't known. In all honesty, Desmond thought that they would have added in some fine print in her contract or legally found a way to keep her trapped at Abstergo. He hoped that whoever the grandmasters were decided to keep Lucy trapped here because they found her a valuable asset, and not because they discovered that she was an Assassin. But he believed that even Templars would have some sense of honour; that even they wouldn't stoop so low. Apparently, he was wrong in his assumption. He wished he wasn't. He wished that his father would have just trusted him to take care of himself and Lucy. Desmond doubted that he could have done anything though, especially if the Templars planned it out.

A noise of frustration left him. Desmond could hear his father chiding him, telling him he was foolish if he thought that Templars would have some sense of a moral compass. But Desmond knew there was another reason he was feeling disappointed in himself, that he felt guilty for not being there for Lucy. In five years, he had grown attached to her. She was a dear friend to him now, one he didn't want to lose. Not here at least, not in Abstergo.

_"You can't get too attached to your partners, Desmond. You have to be able to go on with an assignment, even if you lose your partners along the way."_

His father had told him that years ago, when his training started to increase. Back then Desmond hadn't taken those words of wisdom seriously. He personally believed that he could do it and follow in the example of his ancestors. But now Desmond was beginning to understand what his father had meant. Every once in a while his mind would bring up the possibility that he may have to leave Lucy behind at some point, that maybe the situation would require him to leave Lucy at Abstergo while he escaped. He didn't want to consider it, but he had to and he hated it.

Desmond yawned. How could laying in (or was it on?) a machine make him feel exhausted? Was he feeling Altaïr's exhaustion? Or was it his stress starting to take a toll on him? Either way, he needed to rest. After-all, he knew he didn't run efficiently when on empty. He felt his eyes close and he willed himself to relax. He could worry about escaping this prison tomorrow.

_"Desmond…"_

_ He buried his head further into the pillow. Couldn't this person see he was trying to sleep? He mumbled something into his pillow and the person laughed lightly. A gentle hand began to run through his hair. He decided he like that._

_ "You know I'm still waiting for you to make that drink, right?"_

_ "I'll get to it. I just need some shut-eye." He yawned. Was it even possible for him to feel more tired than he already was?_

_ Another light laugh filled his ears, "I know."_

_ Desmond slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to look at his companion. "Lucy…" She smiled at him. It was a soft and serene smile, one he saw every now and then at the bar, not the nervous and timid ones she gave him at Abstergo. "I'm sorry…"_

_ She shushed him, still smiling, still running a hand through his hair. "Sleep. I'll be here in the morning."_

_ He felt his eyelids become heavy and the world around them go dark. Lucy's blonde hair and pale skin seemed to glimmer in the darkness. _

_ "Sleep…."_

_ And he did._


	4. The Starting of Complications

_So here's chapter four. I apologize for the long wait. I'm currently working on chapter five at this moment.  
As usual, thanks to my handsome editor for looking this overand I look forward to your reviews._**  
**

_________This is a fan fiction, all themes and character belong to Ubisoft. No copy-write infringement intended.  
_

_________Also,  
there is a Doctor Who reference in here. Ten points to those who can spot it.  
_

* * *

**Chapter Four – The Starting of Complications**

Lucy watched as the rain pelted against the window, listening with half an ear as a musician played a light, jazz-like tune on the piano on the other side of the bar. She could have sworn she had heard the piece somewhere before but shrugged off the thought as she heard the all-too familiar 'clink'. She looked up at Nathan who was wearing his usual small smile on his face. To Lucy, it always looked a bit secretive and if not a little cocky at times. But she liked that. It was better than those arrogant and condescending smirks she frequently saw at Abstergo. She picked up the cocktail, enjoying the taste as she took a sip.

"Well that's a first." Nathan chuckled. Lucy raised an eyebrow in question. "I'm pretty sure you didn't watch me mix that."

She flushed a little as she took another sip from her glass, trying to figure out something clever to say in response. Nathans chuckles slowly grew into small bursts of laughter.

"Oh, shut up Nathan!" Lucy grumbled.

"Sorry!" he said as his laughter died back down into chuckles. "It looks like it took me one whole year to earn your trust."

She wasn't able to stop herself from joining in his laughter. She paused for a moment. "Has it really been a year?" Lucy asked, a little shocked. He nodded and chuckled again as she gave him a slightly disbelieving look. "Jesus, it has been a year!"

"Yeah! Gave you that same drink one year ago, too."

Lucy blinked and held up her glass, studying the red cocktail. Did he really serve her the same drink one year ago? Nathan had served her a number of cocktails and drinks over the years of course, and she never remembered all the names of them. He just seemed to be able to remember which ones she enjoyed and which ones she didn't. But she remembered the taste of this one; Nathan mixed this one for her at least once every other month. She looked back at Nathan.

"What's this one called?"

"A Maiden's Blush." He answered without missing a beat. She felt herself freeze up for a moment and tried to stop the blush from forming on her own face. Did he really just say that?

"You're pulling my leg here, aren't you?" she asked.

"Nope."

Lucy fell silent again. "That is a strange name for a cocktail." She muttered before taking another sip.

Nathan shook his head as he smiled. "Should have told you that when I served you the first time, huh?" He said, humor still colouring his voice.

"Don't worry about it. I just didn't expect a drink to have such a… girly name." She explained. Nathan laughed again as he started mixing an order for one of the waiters.

"I can understand that. I know I'm surprised when I learn that some fandom has created a cocktail for their favorite characters."

She quirked an eye-brow, an 'oh-really?' expression on her face. He just shrugged as he finished the order and Lucy shrugged and took a sip of her cocktail. A laugh left her as she watched the young waiter give them a confused, slightly unsure look before walking away. Lucy looked back at Nathan, giving him a smile that he easily returned. She held up her cocktail glass, and after a few moments of confusion, he did the same with his bottle of water.

"A toast. To a year of friendship." She said, a little tentative.

"A year of good times here in the bar." He added as they toasted their respective beverages. "May the following year be just as good."

* * *

"Rise and shine!" Vidic called out merrily, effectively startling Desmond from his mostly dreamless sleep. "We've got –"

The old man was cut off by the pillow Desmond had thrown at his face.

" – quite a day in front of us." Vidic finished flatly. "We need to do something about that attitude of yours Mr. Miles."

"Har, har. Apparently you're in a good mood." Desmond grumbled as he sat up and slowly got off the bed, making his way to the closet for a new shirt.

"Miss Stillman has made some modifications to the Animus. You should be able to stay inside even longer now." Vidic smirked, taking a sip of his coffee.

Desmond gave him a look of disgust. Why would anyone want to stay in the machine even longer? If the damned thing wasn't so important at this moment, he would have gladly dismantled it for the Templars. A tiny voice in the back of his mind told him that he could still kill the older man and destroy the machine with his bare hands, mission be damned. Desmond felt a chill of unease sliver up and down his spine. For the first time since he got here, he understood why Lucy was terrified of the Bleeding Effect. That tiny voice was not him and he wondered if that was the Bleeding Effect was starting to take effect, starting to show. This couldn't be good. He was going to have to try and find a way to talk to Lucy directly.

"Oh joy. I get to help you with your treasure hunt even more now. Just what I always wanted to do." Desmond said, not even bothering to keep the sarcasm subtle.

"This is serious business, Mr. Miles. I don't think you fully appreciate the work Abstergo does." Vidic shot back, giving him a glare.

"Maybe because I actually don't know whatever the hell it is you people do." He growled back, quickly throwing on a shirt and pushing past Vidic to leave the bedroom. Desmond had to hold back the smirk as he successfully pick-pocketed the old man. It was almost too easy. The tiny voice in the back of his head agreed; Desmond could almost hear the smirk in its voice.

"We change the world." Vidic began, following him to the Animus. "Every day, in a hundred –"

"Save me the lecture. Let's just get this over with." Desmond spat. He looked over at Lucy and almost felt bad for verbally sparring in front of her. She looked worried and a little startled on top of that. But she was looking at him kind of funny as well. He wondered what it could be about and made a mental note to ask her later. Maybe. If he remembered. The tiny voice seemed to chuckle, laugh at his expense, and Desmond shoved it away. He decided that it was probably better to focus on asking her about his new found… acquaintance first than about some strange look she seemed to be giving her.

"M-morning, Desmond."

"Mornin', Lucy." He didn't miss the slight hiccup in her voice. That was stranger. That little hiccup mostly happened when she was nervous. His mind cycled through possible reasons as to why she was nervous. Did she see him steal Vidic's datapen? Most likely not. There was a giant piece of hardware blocking part of the door. He wanted to ask her, but he really couldn't. Not when he had made a bit of a show of just wanting to get today's session done.

"Before you start, I wanted to let you know I grabbed things for our after party." Lucy said quietly, giving him a quick wink and smile. He chuckled as he hopped onto the Anime and laid down.

"Beam me up, Scotty!" he said as she began the usual prep.

"You know that was never actually said in the show, right?" Lucy informed him; he could practically hear her roll her eyes.

Desmond just rolled his eyes. "So you're secretly a Trekkie?" he joked.

She scoffed, but he heard the laugh she was holding back, "Like how you're secretly a Brony?"

"Oh, ouch! Low blow, Luce." He looked up at her, watching her shake her head and smiling as she finished setting up the Animus. For a moment he had the distinct feeling that this was familiar, her standing over him and smiling.

"Alright, we're all set to go." Lucy announced, "Ready."

Desmond nodded, and the strange feeling nostalgia left him and he pushed it aside. He needed to focus on the task at hand; he could worry about other things later. Now if he remembered his father's history lessons (which often than not ended up being family history lessons), he would be hunting down Abu'l Nuqoud next. Maybe he would get some ideas from Altaïr to help build his escape plan.

_Well, only one way to find out.  
_

* * *

Lucy nearly panicked when she saw a far too familiar datapen peaking out of Desmond's pocket. When the hell did he get Vidic's datapen? She glanced over at where she had last seen Vidic, slightly relieved to see he was busy with paper. Carefully and quickly she pulled the datapen from Desmond's pocket and hid it in the one place she could actually hide it, in her cleavage. She bit back a groan of displeasure as she buttoned up her shirt to cover her bust more. If it was one thing Lucy hated doing, it was stuffing things in her cleavage or bra. It made her feel like she was white trash, or a cheap whore. But there was no way in hell she was going to let Desmond get caught by Vidic. She risked another glance at the old man before returning her attention to her console and checked Desmond's status and vitals.

She sighed in relief as everything checked out just fine and decided to make use of some of the down time. She skimmed through the work emails before checking the spam box. She was surprised to already see emails address to Desmond (from Shaun and Rebecca of course). She had to hold back her laughter as she recognized Shaun's Penis Enlargement email, but wondered why Desmond hadn't read the email from his father. Lucy found herself frowning a little as she debated whether or not she should read it. She clicked on it hesitantly, unsure if she really wanted to know the email's contents. She glanced down at Desmond before making up her mind. If it appeared private, she would close it. If it was something she needed to know, she would read it. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves as she returned her attention back to the screen.

_Desmond & Lucy,_

_ I'm sending out a team to help you escape if need be. They will be sent to your regional support. Please send word as soon as you possibly can._

_ -W.M._

Lucy felt her blood run cold. She reread the message twice. Was he nuts? Sending a team? That had to be the worst idea anyone could have at this moment. She could understand that William was concerned for his son, but the Brotherhood wasn't in a position to take such risks! A rescue mission into any Abstergo or Templar headquarters would be a suicide mission. Didn't she tell William that Desmond had a plan? She looked back at Desmond and silently cursed her modifications. She also wished he had worn that hoodie of his. It was a little difficult to not look at him. After-all, that shirt he had on left nothing to the imagination.

She brought up the progress screen, not too surprised to see Desmond heading out to assassinate Abu'l Nuqoud. If it was one thing Lucy was always impressed and surprised with was how fast Desmond synched with Altaïr's memories. She frowned a little. Now that she thought about it, she had never really seen Desmond in action. Lucy had always assumed, knew that he was skilled enough to be trusted for an undercover assignment but she had no clue how good his combat or parkour abilities were. Doubt in whatever plan he had began to seep into her mind a little, but they settled a little as she studied his form a little. She couldn't doubt his strength. The defined and toned muscles in his arms and torso showed it, and she had seen him break apart the few and rare brawls in the bar. She bit back a groan of frustration.

_I hope you have a decent plan up your sleeve, Desmond._

"How's Subject 17's progress, Miss Stillman?" Vidic asked as he strolled over to stand next to her, peering down at Desmond like he was insect. "Any closer to our target memory?"

Lucy brought up the viewing screen, "He's almost at Abu'l Nuqoud's palace. If the research is correct, Altaïr's next targets should be William of Montferrat, Majd Addin, Jubair, Sibrand, and then Robert de Sable." She didn't bother looking at Vidic; she was too busy watching Desmond sneak into Abu'l's party.

"And of course after that, Al Mualim." She could almost hear the smug-like smirk on Vidic's face. "It's a shame that he wasn't able to finish what he started. To think of how different the world would be today." He sighed, "Oh well! Hopefully your modifications will hold out so we can shorten that list considerably and meet the deadline."

"They'll work." Lucy wished she didn't sound as confident as she did. She looked away from the viewing screen and back over at Desmond. She was worried. As much as she tried to keep Desmond's time in the Animus limited, she knew he was still at risk for the Bleeding Effect. Even more so now thanks to her. She cursed herself, wishing more than ever that she could just leave. All she could hope was that he would at least tell her if he noticed anything abnormal with himself, mentally that is.

"You better hope so." She heard Vidic muttered as he walked away; Lucy assumed that she wasn't supposed to hear that comment.

She watched as Abu'l fell and leave Altaïr with more questions than answers. _Four down, six to go._ She eyed the memory blocks at the bottom of the screen, mainly the block that signified Altaïr's run-in with Robert de Sable. Or more specifically, Altaïr's first meeting with Maria Thrope. That was the one memory Lucy was actually interested in. Altaïr and Maria's story, tragic as it had ended, was famous and told to nearly every young girl born into the Assassin Order. And even though she knew it was childish, Lucy wanted to see exactly how the famous couple's first meeting truly went. After-all, time had a way of exaggerating stories.

The day moved on slowly as she continued to watch Desmond's progress and worked on some paper work. Lucy tried not to think about William's email, she had to at least tell Desmond about it. If William Miles was still the type of man as she remembered him to be, the lack of reply from either of them would only spur him into action. A sigh past her lips as she took notes on Desmond's progress, recording anything that the Templars would find of use so that way she could send it off to Shaun and Rebecca.

"Miss Stillman, pull him out." Vidic growled.

Lucy jumped; her gaze tore itself away from her work as she turned to look at Vidic. This had to be a first; she never remembered a time when Vidic was the one who demanded someone to be pulled out of the Animus. "S-Sir?"

"Pull him out, Miss Stillman." He repeated.

She nodded slowly and began the ejection process, confused and concerned. Lucy tried not to look behind her as she listened to Vidic pace and mutter under his breath. A number of things passed through her mind. The first that stuck out was the fear that Templar agents discovered the extraction team. She fought down the dread she felt, praying that wasn't the reason why the session was ending suddenly. The second fear was that someone up top had discovered that Desmond was an active member of the Assassin's. Or worse… she pushed her nerves aside, focusing on her current task.

"We done already?" Desmond asked groggily, letting Lucy help him sit up.

"Get up!" Vidic snapped before answering his phone, "I'm ending the session. I'll be there. You're sure about this?"

Desmond nudged Lucy to gain her attention, giving her a questioning look and tilting his head towards the old man. She didn't miss the concern in his eyes. She shook her head and shrugged, worry clear on her face. He frowned, his attention returning to Vidic. Lucy jumped slightly as Vidic angrily slammed the phone down.

"Doctor Vidic?" Lucy said as evenly as she could. The old man glared at her and Desmond.

"I'm needed for a meeting. Consider yourself lucky, Mr. Miles. We're done for the day." And with that, Vidic stormed out of the room and into the conference room. It took the pair a few moments to recover as they waited with bated breaths for something, anything, to happen. They looked at one another, dread filling Lucy again and confusion and frustration evident on Desmond's face.

"Do you think he's meeting with silurians right now?" Desmond asked softly, attempting to lighten the heavy tension in the room.

Lucy gave him a disapproving frown before pulling up William's email. She watched his faced as he read it; his face went from confusion, to surprise, and then finally concern and possibly panic. He looked back at her and they both glanced over at the conference room door.

"Cover me." He whispered. She didn't have much time to react as Desmond almost immediately started to type furiously. Lucy kept a watchful eye on the doors, ready to a hip check him if any of the doors opened. She glanced at one of the cameras; she was going to have to try and delete any incriminating footage of them. Hopefully Rebecca would be able to help her with that, or maybe she was already on top of that.

_"Do you think they know?"_ Desmond asked quietly.

_"I don't know."_ She whispered, _"I hope not."_ Lucy felt her nerves grow when her phone began to ring. Lucy looked over at him. To anyone else, his face would have seemed stony, unfeeling. But she could see how he was worried, concerned. She could practically see the gears turning, trying to figure out where this new piece fit in the puzzle.

_"Go ahead. If you don't, there'll be more reason for them to be suspicious of either of us."_ He murmured. _"I can handle myself here."_

Lucy nodded, answering her phone. "Yes?"

"Miss Stillman! I need to speak with you. Get up here, now!" Vidic snapped on the other end.

"On my way, Doctor." Lucy said evenly, trying to stop the way her blood ran cold. She hung up her phone, a shaky breath leaving her as she did so. She looked over at Desmond, who was searching for something in his pockets. For a moment, she wondered what he was searching for until he gave her a questioning look and she remembered. Quickly she undid some of the buttons on her blouse and pulled out Vidic's datapen. She handed the datapen and her clipboard over to Desmond. Lucy had to fight back the blush as chuckles escaped Desmond's throat.

"Um… See ya tomorrow?" he said.

She nodded, "Be sure to get some rest, Desmond. Okay?" He nodded, "And, uh… be sure you put on something a little warmer, alright?" Lucy didn't bother to look back as she rushed off, as fast as her heels would let her, to see what Vidic wanted.


	5. On the Edge

_First, my apologies for the extremely long wait for the wait on this chapter. I fell ill shortly after posting chapter four, had to finish multiple things for an anime convention I went to in March and then life took over for awhile there, along with video games NOT AC related (like BioShock Infinite). But hopefully there will be less delays between chapters now. So enjoy this new chapter!  
_

_As always, I look forward to everyone's reviews/comments!_

_Thank you to my forever helpful beta, There She Goes And She Comin. _

_____This is a fan fiction, all themes and character belong to Ubisoft. No copy-write infringement intended._

* * *

**On the Edge**

It was too dark. Even with the street lights, it was too dark for Lucy's taste. She looked over her shoulder for what felt like the hundredth time that night. A part of her wished she was still on the bus or in a cab. Though what she really wished was that she didn't have to wear the long, brown wig and club-wear. But Nathan had insisted, saying it would help keep Templar agents in the dark. So here Lucy was, trying to act causal as she headed to the night club he had instructed her to meet him at. The pulsing beat could be heard from a block away.

Lucy swallowed back her nerves as she approached the side entrance of Bad Weather. The large man standing next to the door eyed her up and down before asking for I.D. and her name. She handed him the false I.D. Nathan had slipped in with her bill last night.

"Noct said to use this entrance." Lucy said, doing her best to sound confident. The man nodded before handing back the I.D. card and opened the door.

"Bar's straight back. Can't miss it." He grunted before closing the door behind her.

The music was overwhelming now that she was inside. There were a large number of people on the dance floor, swaying, bumping and grinding to the techno beat. Those who weren't on the dance floor were either slowly drinking themselves into a stupor or making out with someone. Lucy wouldn't lie, seeing couples going at it always seemed a little disgusting. It always looked like one or both of them were trying to consume the others face. But that wasn't her concern tonight. She looked around, easily spotting the bar. With a deep breath she made her way across the dance floor, slapping and shrugging off hands that got too close for her comfort. She tried not to think about how she was worried about the wig falling or how it seemed to make everything too warm. Or how the dark skinny jeans on her legs seemed designed to constrict movement.

Lucy let out a sigh of relief as she finally reached the bar. She ordered the cheapest, simplest martini that she could find as she took a seat, doing her best to ignore a drunk on her left. It helped that she couldn't really hear him over the blaring techno. Her appreciation for the small, quieter Pen & Ink became even greater as she took a sip of her drink. She doubted she would have even enjoyed Bad Weather in her college days.

An arm suddenly crept around her shoulders, causing Lucy to tense. The owner of the arm plucked her martini out of her hands and she heard him take a sip.

"You know, a beautiful lady such as yourself shouldn't be having such plain drinks. You look like the type of girl who enjoys something with flavor."

Lucy turned her head to see Nathan behind her and she relaxed a little. He made no move to take any of the empty seats next to her; he just ordered them another round of drinks.

"Is that the best you can come up with?" she asked over the music, turning around in her seat to face him. Nathan smiled and shrugged before returning his attention to the bartender making their drinks. The black leather jacket appeared to be just a size too big for him and Lucy envied the fact he was able to wear the relaxed fitted jeans that permitted more movement.

"Oh, I'm sure you've heard worse." He chuckled as he leaned against the bar counter.

Lucy laughed and took a sip of her new cocktail. She liked the taste of this one. She made a quick mental note to ask Nathan to mix her one at the Pen & Ink before tapping her left index finger on the bar twice, resting her cheek in her right hand. Lucy saw the change in his gaze. He took his time as he took a drink of his cocktail. And with a tap of his right thumb, it was time for business.

"I'm sure your date wouldn't appreciate you chatting up other girls."

_Is it just you here?_

"I'm sure you won't mind being my date for the night."

_Just me. Yourself?_

"And how do you know I'm not waiting for someone more attractive than you?"

_I don't believe I was followed._

Nathan smiled and leaned closer to her and she mirrored the action. "Because what kind of man leaves a pretty girl waiting all alone at the bar of the hottest night club in town?"

_ Sorry for making you wait._

Lucy hoped that he wouldn't be able to tell she was blushing. "Then I think I'll take up your offer of being your date for the night." She leaned in even closer to Nathan, doing her best not to look around for suspicious people as he wrapped an arm around her waist. Suddenly this seemed like a bad idea. Everything that could go wrong started to flash through her mind. And then it didn't help that Nathan's close proximity caused her nerves to go into overdrive.

"Calm down. This place is clean. Just taking the necessary precautions'." He said lowly in her ear, giving her waist a gentle squeeze. She was sure it was supposed to be a comforting action, but her memory kept playing the incident after the Animus was completed. Darkness, laughter, fear… Lucy shut her eyes quickly, forcing the memory back. Nathan wasn't going to hurt her; this was no time for her to get caught up in the past.

"Sorry, just worried." Lucy replied as she calmed down.

"I know. I am too."

She felt Nathan turn her a little and she followed the cue. She turned the rest of her body towards him, lifting herself out the seat a little as his hands slipped into the back pockets of her jeans. Lucy failed to suppress a shudder as she felt him place a trail of light kisses from the crook of her neck to her ear.

"You have it with you?" Nathan asked.

She turned away from him, facing the bar counter again. "Left front pocket. Be careful, it's small."

He wrapped an arm around her waist again while his other he and pressed against her stomach and pushed her back up against him. The hand on her waist crept lower and carefully slid into her pocket. It took him longer to get a grasp on it that she thought, making her rest a hand on top of the one on her stomach. She heard Nathan let out a small string of curses.

"Jesus. How damn tiny is this thing?"

"It's the size of a Vita memory card. Easy to hide and easy to get rid of." He let out a few more grumbled curses before she moved his hands away. "Let me."

Lucy stood up out of her seat, took his hand and led him towards the darker outskirts of the dance floor. She fished out the tiny memory chip before they started awkwardly swaying to the beat. He placed his hands on her hips as she wrapped an arm around his neck; carefully, she placed the memory chip in one of his pockets.

"So it has everything we need on it?"

"Yes. All their targets, credit card numbers, what and who they're bringing. I just hope we're fast enough." Lucy swallowed down her worry.

"This should help. Do you remember how many cells they were targeting?"

"Ten, fifteen maybe. It's bad, Nathan. Really bad. If they –"

"It'll be okay. We'll get this to the higher ups, get people out and hopefully, maybe put a dent in their forces."

She just nodded, unsure if everything was going to work out. After-all, Lucy only stumbled across the information by chance when she was gathering files that Vidic needed for a meeting. But she had to keep faith. If she hadn't stumbled across the information then the chances for the target assassins to survive such a raid would have dropped dramatically.

* * *

Lucy did her best to appear calm on the outside. If she let her nerves show in front of any Templar, they could possibly become more suspicious. Lucy wasn't an idiot. She knew that Vidic had to be at least questioning the true nature of her relationship with Desmond. With a deep breath to steady herself, she entered the main conference room. Vidic stood at the head of the table, frowning at something on the laptop in front of him. She stood there for a few quiet moments as Vidic sipped his coffee, not making a move to acknowledge her. Irritation nipped at her heels. She knew this game and, unfortunately, she would have to play it.

"Sir?" No reply. "Doctor Vidic? You wanted to speak with me?" Lucy waited patiently as Vidic made a show of finally giving her his attention.

"Ah, Miss Stillman. You certainly took your time." Vidic drawled. "It's about Subject 17. What do you know of him?"

Lucy felt her blood run cold. "I don't know very much about him, sir. Just what was in his file and a few things he's told me." She didn't like this. There was too much room for interpretation, too much at stake.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, sir. He's never really told me anything about his personal life." She fought back the hiccup that threatened to escape, keeping her voice even. "Is there a reason behind all this questioning? Something I should be informed of?"

He studied her for a moment, his expression seemed unreadable. "My superiors have started questioning if your presence is truly needed. If your…relationship, if you can call it that, with Subject 17 is beginning to get in the way of your work."

Lucy's heart jumped into her throat and started beating like mad. She tried to find the right combination of words, the best way to shove away the suspicion.

"Don't worry, Miss Stillman. I put their thoughts at ease. For now at least." Vidic said, making his way towards her. "After-all, I highly doubt that one of our technicians from the Animus Training Program are completely familiar to the set up and power of the machine we use. We would just fall further behind our schedule."

"I wasn't aware we were that far behind." Lucy replied calmly, warily watching Vidic. She did not like where this conversation seemed to be going.

"Not as behind as before, thanks to your modifications of course." He stood in front of her for a moment before he started circling her, "My superiors would like to resubmit their offer to you, Miss Stillman. And I must say, it's quite a handsome offer. They'd like to make you head of the Animus Training Program, and allow you into some of our highest ranks."

This again. They were trying to tempt her to join them. For a brief moment she wondered if she would have lasted this long without Desmond's support. "You know the answer, Vidic. It's been the same for the past six years."

Vidic sighed dramatically. "Come now, Miss Stillman! You and I have seen it time and time again, thanks to the Animus. A thousand years between Altaïr and his descendant, and society remains just as barbaric. Just as stupid! The world needs order, direction and we can give it! Think of all the petty disputes and squabbles, all the mindless violence we can end!"

"By effectively taking away any free will that someone might have." Lucy spat out.

"Oh, you make it sound so harsh, Miss Stillman. Like all we want is power. What we're doing is for the good of humanity. We're striving to build a better future, a better world."

"The answer is no, Doctor Vidic. Now if you excuse me, I have some paper work that needs to be completed." Lucy turned away and made for the door.

"I don't think you truly understand your situation, Miss Stillman." Vidic said suddenly, making her stop. She glanced at him over her shoulder. "My superiors were willing to temporarily put their concerns aside when I informed them that Subject 17 will be more cooperative with your presence. However, I would like a straight answer from you. How much do you _actually_ know?"

"Sir?"

"Don't play coy with me, Miss Stillman. For seven years you've been my assistant in this project; I've learned a thing or two about your habits. And you're hiding something, Miss Stillman." The man's gaze was hard and piercing, trying to make her crack.

Lucy matched his gaze. She wasn't going to back down. She had played this game for nearly seven years and she could play it all day if she had too. But Lucy could feel the fear starting to ease its way into her.

"I'm going to give you this one chance, Miss Stillman. One chance to tell me exactly what you know about Desmond Miles. One chance to tell me what he has planned."

Lucy's blood didn't just turn cold again, it froze. This was more than bad. This was the very thing she had been fearing when Desmond was brought in. Warren Vidic had to be more than suspicious. Did he know? How much did he know?

"I'm sorry, Doctor Vidic. But my friendship with Desmond is mostly superficial. Now if you excuse me, I have a lot of work to do."

"I see then."

Lucy calmly walked out of the room, her pace began to increase as she walked past her cubical, past the elevators and into the unused stairwell. She held onto the rail, doing her best not to trip over her own feet as she hurried down the stairs. How were they going to get out of this? Lucy stumbled and she barely paused to regain her balance. She stumbled again and she caught herself on the wall. She was breathing heavily, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Lucy laid her head again the wall, the cool surface doing little to settle her nerves.

She tried not to let her fear take hold of her. It would do her no good if she let that emotion take control. But Lucy couldn't fight it back. Yes, she had always been worried that Vidic had suspected something. That fear had always been there. But she always had someplace where she felt safe, where she didn't have to act strong and unaffected by the things around her. But it was gone now. Her fears were confirmed and she couldn't go to the bar and sort through her emotions. Her backup was trapped in this hell-hole with her. Lucy had no idea of how much time she and Desmond truly had now. She looked back up the stairs, tempted to go check on Desmond. To let him know that Vidic was now onto them, on the watch. But that would make matters worse, no doubt.

She turned around, letting her back rest again the cold wall. She felt herself slide down. They only had two days left and Lucy wondered if she was now starting to reach her breaking point. She had no doubt that the Templars would kill Desmond by the end of this now. And Lucy had the sinking feeling that she would joining him shortly after.

* * *

"…We're close."

"…not a lot of time, Vidic."

Desmond rubbed his eyes, feeling disorientated. The morning hadn't been kind to him thanks to his long evening digging through the old man's files. He didn't bother to try and listen to Vidic's conversation. Desmond was busy trying to ignore that tiny little voice that had made its presence known yesterday. Without anyone to talk to and anxiously waiting for a reply from his father, that tiny voice had bothered him all night. It commented on everything. From the content in Vidic's files and emails, to the symbols that Clay had painted in his own blood, and even how it would be wise to escape in the middle of the night. Desmond was beginning to understand how Clay found that suicide was his only option.

He looked over at Lucy. She had been unusually quiet today and seemed like she hadn't slept for days. He knew it had something to do with last night's meeting with Vidic. Though it had been a strange morning for him too. The old man hadn't bothered to try and wake him up that morning. He had simply snapped at Desmond to get into the Animus, while Lucy had shook her head at him when he tried to talk to her.

"I've… got some work I need to do. So you've got the rest of the night to yourself." Vidic announced as he headed out of the room.

"Is everything alright?" he asked her as he carefully got off the machine.

Desmond watched as she gnawed lightly on her lower lip. She looked up at him for a few moments before glancing around the room. Lucy sighed and shook her head. "No." she murmured quietly.

He looked over to the door that Vidic had used as his exit. Looking back at Lucy had confirmed his suspicion that had been building in his gut since the night before; Vidic knew something and he was trying to threaten Lucy.

"Didn't get a lot of sleep it looks like." Desmond commented softly, leaning against the Animus. She looked back at him as he tapped his fingers against the machine.

_Does he know?_

Another sigh past her lips before she answered. "No. I didn't." She didn't signal anything back and Desmond felt worry nip at his heels.

_We've got to get out of here._

"Deadline pressure catching up to you, then?"

"Something like that."

He tapped his fingers again as silence fell between them.

_Does he know?_

He watched Lucy as she clicked her pen a few times.

_I think so._

Shit. He tried not to look around or let him panic seep out. _At least that explains the quiet morning I got today._

"So yesterday you said something about getting supplies for our little 'after party'?" Desmond said, hoping to lighten Lucy's mood a little. And the promise of alcohol after stressful things tended to put people in a better mood. She gave him a small, weary smile for his efforts and nodded. "Did ya bring it with you?"

She laughed and the sound put Desmond at ease a little. "Really, Desmond? You expect me to bring booze to work?"

"Just wanted to see what you got."

"Sure…" she drawled, her tone and the look she was giving him told him she didn't believe him.

He laughed, but the good mood seemed to stay only for a little while. The reality of their situation slowly reared its ugly head again. Desmond noticed as Lucy glanced around the room again. He could have sworn that she was trembling slightly. But it was clear that Lucy was scared. He knew that she had been worried about Vidic discovering her true affiliations. She had told him that much during their weekly conversations. But her behavior right now… Vidic must have finally confronted her about it. Desmond didn't doubt that Lucy was able to keep her cool in front of the old man, but he could tell that the stress of this assignment was starting to get the best of her. And he couldn't blame her. She really needed a vacation. A very long vacation. He placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping that it would provide some form of comfort. Lucy looked up at him.

"Look at the bright side. We're almost done and once we're done, we get to celebrate a little. And I'm pretty sure you've earned your fair share of vacation time." Desmond gave her small smile.

Lucy stared at him, uncertainty shining in her eyes. She glanced over at the Animus. He really couldn't tell what she was thinking but he could guess. All of this had started with that damned machine. If it hadn't been invented… Desmond looked back at Lucy. He could wait to tell her about his new, little…friend. She had enough on her plate to worry about. He wasn't about to add more to it.

Lucy finally nodded, a small smile forming on her face. They stood in a compainionly silence before Lucy's phone began to ring. He nodded in understanding and left to use the bathroom. Long sessions tended to wreak havoc with his bladder it seemed. When he came back, Lucy was starting to fully shut down the Animus for the night.

"I'm done for the day. Be sure to get some rest, okay?" she announced. He nodded. "And… I'll bring some of the 'after party' stuff tomorrow."

"Sounds good. I'll see ya tomorrow." She nodded as she head to the door. "And Lucy," she paused, "be sure you get some sleep, too."

She seemed to freeze for a moment, her cheeks flushed lightly with colour before she nodded and headed out.

'_Letting yourself get distracted by a woman. You truly are a novice.'_

Desmond clenched his jaw, doing his best to ignore the voice that was starting to sound like Altaïr. He had to remind himself that the Altaïr he was talking to in his head had yet to meet Maria Thorpe. And had yet to enter a relationship with her.

'_You've had every chance to escape and yet you stay! Giving the Templars exactly what they want.'_

_You're not real._

'_Just like how the air you're breathing isn't real.'_

Desmond wished that his ancestor was still alive so he could punch him.

'_You need to focus, novice. You risk everything by continuing your friendly interactions with that woman only put both of you in danger. The Templar is already suspicious of you both.'_

Now that, Desmond couldn't argue with. It would explain why Lucy was so quiet and reluctant to speak today. And she would probably continue the quietness until they left this place. He strolled over to Lucy's computer and opened the email containing the Abstergo floor plan and guard schedules. He had already had the basics of an escape plan, but he was still working out the finer details. Like how to keep Lucy's status as a fellow hostage/prisoner. And how to get to the get-away car that Rebecca secured without Templars following them. He sighed; something in his gut told him that he would be improvising a good portion of this escape.

'_As I said before, you truly are a novice.'_

_If there's ever a time I want your opinion, I'll ask you for it._

Yeah… he really needed to talk to Lucy about this.


End file.
